Heavily criticized for its lack of standout AAA games, Sony’s handheld, the PlayStation Vita, has admittedly struggled in the years since its launch. Competing with mobile platforms and Nintendo’s handheld line, the Vita simply hasn’t found the foothold, at least in the west, that Sony originally hoped. And now it appears those let down hopes are taking their toll.
Speaking with Japanese site 4Gamer (via Dualshockers) Sony Computer Entertainment Senior Vice President Masayasu Ito admitted Sony is placing all their emphasis on the PS4. “Currently, first party studios have no titles in development for PS Vita,” he stated. “Since third parties are working very hard on PS Vita, SCE’s own strategy is to focus on PS4…”
This echoes a similar message sent by Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida last June when he said, specifically, Sony had no “big, AAA Vita games” in development. It is interesting to hear definitively now however that Sony in fact has no planned games at all.
Talking about the health of the Vita overall, Masayasu Ito said, “At the beginning the PS Vita did not resonate with age targets under 20, but now the situation is changing and the popularity with younger demographics is increasing. Minecraft: PS Vita Edition has provided a boost… In addition to that, a variety of third party games is also planned for the future…”
Do you have a Vita? If so, what do you think of the lack of Sony first party titles? Let us know in the comments.